Echo-planar imaging (EPI) is sensitive to magnetic field inhomogeneities which lead to signal loss and geometric distortions of the image. The magnetic field inhomogeneities induced due to susceptibility differences, as encountered in the human body, increase with the magnetic field strength. Thus, it is a challenge to implement high resolution EPI techniques on high magnetic field systems. Furthermore, in EPI images, each k-space line has different dephasing in the phase-encoding direction if flow is present, causing artifacts in the phase-encoding direction. In order to have high spatial and temporal resolution and minimize flow artifacts, a new multi-shot, fast, high resolution EPI method has been developed which utilizes variable flip angles, center-out k-space sampling, and navigator echoes. In our segmentation scheme with variable flip angles, the SNR is maximized since the k-space is sampled always from the center. Consequently, this technique is well-suited for the functional activation studies which require high temporal and spatial resolution. Since the center k-space line is sampled first with little flow contribution, flow artifacts are greatly reduced. The navigator echoes can be utilized to monitor physiological motion and correct such motion effects; this feature will be especially useful when many segments and a long data acquisition time are employed. sing a short effective echo time, resulting in a high SNR.